Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus, and specifically, relates to an endoscope apparatus including an erecting operation member for erecting a forceps elevator (treatment tool elevator) of a distal end part a traction of an operation wire.
Description of the Related Art
In an ultrasonic inspection in an ultrasonic endoscope, tissue sampling and suction by a puncture needle are optionally performed under the ultrasonic endoscope.
Moreover, a guide wire and a contrast tube are inserted in a bile duct or the like in duodenoscopy and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is performed.
A puncture needle and a guide wire, and so on, are inserted from a treatment tool entry port of an endoscope and led out from a treatment tool exit port provided in the distal end part of the endoscope through a treatment tool insertion channel.
A forceps elevator is provided to the treatment tool exit port and is designed such that the forceps elevator can be moved from a reclined state to an erected state by operating an erecting operation member to pull an operation wire (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-56912). Thus, the puncture needle or the guide wire, which is led out from the treatment tool exit port, becomes able to approach a body wall or a duodenal papilla at a desired angle.
Generally, a forceps elevator is in a reclined state when an insertion part of an endoscope is inserted into and extracted from a body or when a bending part is bent.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-56912 discloses that a scale showing an erecting angle is provided near an erecting operation member of an operation part.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-287593 discloses that a mark is provided to a part of a forceps elevator that is imaged in an observation image when the forceps elevator is reclined.